Don't forget to pack some apps with that lunch box when the kids go back to school. Source: Herald Sun
THE start of the new school year is a little over a week away, but before you fill those school bags, lunch boxes and pencil cases, fill up your smartphone or tablet with some great educational apps and get a head start on study.
National social media and technology reporter PETRA STARKE lists the top 50 learning apps for children and teens.
(*Prices correct as of January 14, 2013)
LITERACY & NUMERACY
Splash Math
Free, but extra worksheets cost $5.49 each - iPhone/iPad
This suite of five sea-themed apps, covering years 1 to 5, teaches maths in a fun, interactive way. Answer questions correctly to add fish to a virtual aquarium, and track progress with weekly email reports.
Splash math Source: Supplied
Count TV
$2.99 - iPhone/iPad
Little ones can learn their numbers with Sesame Street's Count Von Count, Cookie Monster, Ernie, Grover and others. Parents will love the inclusion of classic retro Sesame Street clips.
Count tv Source: Supplied
20-1 Counting
$0.99 - iPhone/iPad
Pop balloons with Oscar the monkey to reveal numbers and learn how to count backwards from 20 to 1. An Australian accent makes this simple app a stand out.
20-1 Counting Source: Supplied
Squeebles
$0.99 to $1.99 - iPhone/iPad
A suite of six separate apps teaches basic maths and spelling aimed at kids aged five to 11. Answer questions correctly to rescue the cute squeebles from the maths monster.
Squeebles Source: Supplied
Numberlys
$6.49 - iPhone/iPad
Looking more like a Tim Burton film than an educational app, this unbelievably beautiful animated storybook teaches children the alphabet through lush, interactive, black and white illustrations.
Numberlys Source: Supplied
Abc - Wow!
$1.99 - iPhone/iPad
$1.90 - Android
Beautiful animations and fun sounds make this alphabet flashcard app more charming than most. Letters morph into pictures of everyday objects - ''C'' into a cookie, and ''A'' into an apple - allowing kids to make an association between the two.
ABC - Wow! Source: Supplied
Alphabet Song
$0.99 - iPad only
Developed by Sydney company Oscar's Apps this is one of the only alphabet apps that features an Aussie accent, so your child will hear ''zed'' instead of the dreaded ''zee''. Pop balloons to reveal letters, and sing along to the alphabet.
Alphabet song Source: Supplied
My A-Z
$1.99 - iPhone/iPad
Create alphabet flash cards using your own photos and sounds to make a more personalised, immersive experience. You can use a picture of your dog and a clip of its bark for the letter ''D'', for example.
My A-Z Source: Supplied
Eggy 250
$2.99 - iPhone/iPad
$1.98 - Android
An Australian accent option makes this cute reading app stand out from the crowd. An animated chicken teaches kids 250 ''sight words'' - words readers should recognise on sight, such as ''the'', ''he'', ''she'' and ''where'' - while they earn golden eggs as rewards.
Monkey Preschool Lunchbox
$0.99 - iPhone/iPad
$1.85 - Android
Help a cute animated monkey fill his lunch box with fruit, learning colours, counting, letters, shapes and puzzle solving along the way.
Monkey preschool lunchbox Source: Supplied
ART & MUSIC
Doodle Buddy
Free - iPhone/iPad
Addictive art app lets kids finger paint without getting their hands dirty. They can also add stamps and funny sounds, draw with other friends over the internet and even post their finished artworks to Facebook.
Doodle buddy Source: Supplied
PlayART by Tapbook
$4.49 - iPad only
Mash up, cut up and play with 25 famous works of art from Monet, Van Gogh, Cezanne and more to create new artworks or recreate the originals while learning about art history.
Playart by Tapbook Source: Supplied
Squiggles!
Free - iPhone/iPad
Like an electronic Mr Squiggle, this app takes your child's freeform doodles and turns them into amazing moving pictures. Squiggle away, hit the GO button and watch drawings move and twirl.
Squiggles Source: Supplied
Play School Art Maker
Free - iPad only
Create pictures, animated movies and story slideshows using Big Ted, Humpty Dumpty, Jemima and the rest of the Play School toys, and even watch episodes of the TV show over wi-fi.
Play school art maker Source: Supplied
Sophie's Drawings
$2.99 - iPad only
Kids can learn to draw basic shapes before progressing to more complex pictures like a lighthouse, octopus and cow by following Sophie's magic pencil with their finger.
Sophies drawings Source: Supplied
Little Fox Music Box
$2.99 - iPhone/iPad
This sing-a-long songbook only has three tunes, but the absolutely gorgeous interactive illustrations are so lush your child will get hours of enjoyment. Tap around each scene to discover new sounds and funny animations, and make your own songs in the Fox's studio.
Little fox music box Source: Supplied
Morton Subotnick's Pitch Painter
$1.99 - iPad only
Aimed at three to five-year-olds, this interactive canvas turns finger painting into music making. Drag up to three fingers across the screen and create an electronic tune, play it backwards or scratch it like a DJ.
Morton subotnicks pitch painter Source: Supplied
Piano Free with Songs
Free - iPhone/iPad.
If your lounge room's too small for a piano, put one in your child's pocket instead with this nifty app. Features a full 88-key keyboard with metronome and sheet music.
Piano free with songs Source: Supplied
RattleBand!
Free, or $0.99 for full version - iPhone/iPad
Youngsters will have fun creating music with the on-screen tambourine, shakers, triangle, rhythm sticks, xylophone and drum. Just tap and play. Free version limited to four instruments.
Rattleband Source: Supplied
Music Matching with Lisa Loeb
Free - iPhone/iPad
The bespectacled 1990s hipster guitar girl provides the soundtrack to this cute memory matching game teaching kids about musical instruments and sounds led by an animated cat - wearing glasses, of course.
Music matching with lisa loeb Source: Supplied
SCIENCE & GEOGRAPHY
The Ultimate Dinopedia: Complete Dinosaur Reference
$5.49 - iPad only
With eye-popping illustrations and information about more than 700 dinosaurs, including size comparisons and fun facts, this National Geographic designed encyclopedia will thrill dino hunters up to 12 years old.
Ultimate dinopedia Source: Supplied
Ice is Nice! All About the North and South Poles
$6.49 - iPhone/iPad
Hop aboard the SS Ice Chopper with the Cat in the Hat to learn about the science and geography of the poles and the animals that live there. Fairly complex topics are covered in a fun way with Seussian rhyme and music.
Ice is nice All about the North and South Poles Source: Supplied
Britannica Kids
$7.49 - iPhone/iPad
$1.92 - Android
Encyclopedias come alive with this cool app series from Britannica on a range of topics from volcanoes to snakes, rainforests, ancient Egypt and the solar system. Information is presented alongside videos, games and quizzes.
Britannica kids Source: Supplied
Meet the Insects: Forest Edition
$4.49 - iPad only
Get up close with beetles, bugs, butterflies and moths through beautiful photos and video, and make them come to life with the tap of a finger. A quiz will test kids' creepy crawly knowledge.
Meet the insects - Forest Edition Source: Supplied
Robots for iPad
$0.99 - iPad only
Learn about electronics and robotics through videos and interactive examples of more than 100 real life robots like Sony's Aibo dog and Google's self-driving car.
Happy Little Farmer
$1.99 - iPhone/iPad
Little ones can play in a virtual vegie patch or pot and learn about farming and the life cycle of plants. Kids will have fun raking, digging, planting and caring for their garden before harvesting it.
Happy little farmer Source: Supplied
Smash Your Food
$2.99 - iPad only
An example of how playing with your food can be educational, this game lets kids squish and smash various foods - from hamburgers to doughnuts - to show how much sugar, fat and salt are in them. Video of real food being squished is surprisingly fun to watch.
Smash your food Source: Supplied
Bobo Explores Light
$5.49 - iPad only
Children as young as four will love the beautiful illustrations in this interactive science book, while older kids will enjoy learning about photosynthesis, lasers, colour and the light spectrum, all presented in simple language.
Bobo explores light Source: Supplied
How it Works: Machines by Geek Kids
$1.99 - iPhone/iPad
Get an introduction to engineering and learn how various machines work by taking them apart and reassembling them. Even very young users will find it easy to build a washing machine, car or train by dragging and dropping mechanical parts onto the illustration.
How it works machines by Geek Kids Source: Supplied
GeoBee Challenge HD
$1.99 - iPad only
$1.90 - Android
Students can test their knowledge of the world around them with this challenging map-based quiz. Find capital cities, identify landmarks from photos and more.
GENERAL EDUCATION
Facts for Kids: A New Fact Every Day
$2.99 - iPhone/iPad
$1.49 - Android (called ''A Fact Every Day'')
Gives your child a daily fact about animals, people and the world complete with pictures and sound. Should stir interest in new and different topics, and might even prompt further study.
Facts for kids Source: Supplied
Presto Bingo Shapes
$1.99 - iPhone/iPad
Tap through beautiful illustrations reminiscent of the iconic 1960s This Is... books by Miroslav Sasek, to uncover hidden shapes and learn their names through whimsical animations.
Presto bingo Source: Supplied
Toca Kitchen
$2.99 - iPhone/iPad
Kids can learn about food and cooking without the dangers of knives and hotplates, creating virtual meals for four cute illustrated characters. Will the cat enjoy fried carrot? Chop, slice and find out.
Toca kitchen Source: Supplied
I Am A Child: Just Like You
$2.99 - iPhone/iPad
Whether your child has been diagnosed with Asperger's, or they know someone who has, this sensitive e-picture book helps them understand what life is like for those with the syndrome.
I am a child just like you Source: Supplied
Interactive Telling Time Free
Free, or $2.99 for full version - Android
Filled with charming animations and music, this clock game helps kids learn to tell the time in a fun way. Five difficulty levels means it's suitable for older children too.
Interactive telling time Source: Supplied
Kids Money 2
Free - iPhone/iPad
This simple budget calculator teaches kids about pocket money management and the importance of saving while helping them save up for the things they want.
Kids money 2 Source: Supplied
Eric Carle's My Very First App
$1.99 with in-app purchases of $0.99 - iPhone/iPad
$1.92 with in-app purchases of $0.99 - Android
From the author of The Very Hungry Caterpillar comes this beautifully illustrated card matching game. The free version lets you match animals to their favourite foods and homes, while paid upgrades will add more categories.
Ericcarle Source: Supplied
123 Color HD: Talking Colouring Book
$0.99 - iPhone/iPad
Paint and learn another language at the same time with this art app that teaches numbers, letters and colours in English, Spanish, French and German as you draw. It even has an Australian voice-over option.
123 colour h Source: Supplied
Little Patterns
$0.99 - iPhone/iPad
Youngsters will learn to recognise and complete patterns with this simple game, which can be customised with mum or dad's voice for extra personalisation.
Little patterns Source: Supplied
BrainPOP Featured Movie
Free - iPhone/iPad
Learn about everything from Shakespeare to DNA with this slick animated app that delivers a free informative movie every day, and an interactive quiz to follow it.
Ge - Brainpop Featured Movie Source: Supplied
TEENS/HIGH SCHOOL
The Elements: A Visual Exploration
$14.99 - iPad only
Described by Stephen Fry as being ''alone worth the price of an iPad'', this interactive periodic table lets you explore the elements in incredible new ways through 3D images, video and text. Stunningly beautiful, it will engage even the most reluctant chemistry student.
The Elements: A Visual Exploration Source: Supplied
Pocket Universe: Virtual Sky Astronomy
$1.99 - iPhone/iPad
Hold your phone or tablet up to the night sky and the app will use its built-in compass to display the same view, complete with names and information about the stars you can see. Explore the solar system, take quizzes and play games.
Pocket universe Source: Supplied
Frog Dissection
$4.49 - iPad only
The much-dreaded high school science lab practical is given a more humane makeover. Virtually dissect a frog and learn about its organs in detail.
Frog dissection Source: Supplied
Dinosaurs: The American Museum of Natural History Collections
Free - iPhone/Ipad
Explore the fossil collection of the AMNH in New York without leaving your lounge room. Learn about dinosaurs and paleontology by tapping on an interactive Tyrannosaurus Rex made up of more than 1000 separate images.
Dinosaurs: The American Museum of Natural History Collections Source: Supplied
National Geographic World Atlas
$1.99 - iPhone/iPad
Teens may already rely on Google Maps to get around, but this fully interactive atlas will boost their geography knowledge with detailed statistics and information about every country on the planet, as well as current street maps provided by Bing.
National geographic world atlas Source: Supplied
Dreamtime
Free - iPhone/iPad
Learn the Aboriginal Dreaming stories behind 64 works of art from the community-based Warlukurlangu Art Centre in Alice Springs, as told by the artists. Each story describes the relationship between the spirit and natural worlds.
Dreamtime Source: Supplied
TED
Free - iPhone/iPad and Android
Watch some of the world's foremost thinkers and industry leaders deliver presentations on politics, science, art, technology and more, presented at the famous TED (Technology Entertainment Design) conferences.
Ted Source: Supplied
Famous Artists and Their Paintings
$0.99 - iPhone/iPad
Brush up on art history by learning about more than 100 famous works of art from Michaelangelo, Rembrandt, da Vinci and more. Tap and pinch to zoom in and out of high res images, and test your knowledge with a time-trial quiz.
Famous artists Source: Supplied
Calculator for iPad Free
Free - iPad only
In portrait mode it's a standard calculator; turn it to landscape to reveal full scientific functions. Different themes let you dress it up in pink, silver or retro grey - to match your pencil case, natch. Android users can opt for RealCalc Scientific Calculator, also free.
Calculator for iPad Source: Supplied
Ankidroid
Free - Android
Perfect for exam cramming, this nifty study aid helps students memorise anything through information flashcards which they can create themselves. Once loaded they can quiz themselves anywhere, anytime - on the school bus, in study period or at recess.
Ankidroid Source: Supplied
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